This is an archontological list of Albanian monarchs, containing

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

s of the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Albanian principalities The term Albanian Principalities refers to a number of Principality, principalities (although they functioned more like a series of kingdoms) created in the Middle Ages in Albania and the surrounding regions in the western Balkans that were ruled ...

, Albanian kingdoms and to heads of state of modern

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. Starting from the first established monarch Progon of Kruja from the Progoni family who ruled the Principality of Arbanon starting in 1190. Throughout history, the monarchs of Albania have held multiple titles, often

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

, and in rare instances, Slavic. Some of these titles include

King of Albania The King of Albania ( Albanian: ''Mbreti i Shqipërisë'') was a title styled by the official ruler of Albania. While the medieval Angevin Kingdom of Albania was a monarchy, it did not encompass the entirety of modern Albania. Although disconten ...

, Prince of Albania, Despot, and

Sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' (, ; ; ), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence (Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Empire). The word is a compound ...

. Members of the medieval Albanian monarchy were integral to the formation of the Albanian nobility. The monarchy in Albania was abolished on the 8th of September, 1943.

Principality of Arbanon (1190–1257)

House of Progoni

Principality of Gropa (1258–????)

House of Gropa

Principality of Blinishti (13th century–1330)

House of Blinishti

* Vlado Blinishti * Kalojan Blinishti * Gulielm Blinishti

Kingdom of Albania (1272–1368 and 1376-1383)

House of Anjou

Principality of Muzaka (1279–1450)

House of Muzaka

Principality of Mataranga (1358–1367)

House of Mataranga

The Mataranga family was a vassel of

Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 a ...

before 1284. The family was first documented in 1297 by the Republic of Ragusa. The family became a vassal of the Byzantine emperor as well between 1284 and 1288 but then accepted the Angevin overlordship again in 1304.

Principality of Gjonima (1319–1430)

House of Gjonima

* Dhimitër Gjonima * Vladislav Gjonima * Marin Gjonima

Principality of Albania (1328–1415)

House of Thopia

Principality of Vlorë (1345–1417)

House of Sratsimir and House of Balsha

Principality of Zeta (1356–1421)

House of Balsha

Despotate of Angelokastron and Lepanto (1358–1374)

Shpata dynasty

Despotate of Arta (1360–1416)

Losha dynasty

House of Shpata

Principality of Gjirokastër (1386—1418)

House of Zenebishi

Principality of Dukagjini (1387–1479)

House of Dukagjini

Principality of Arianiti (????–1462)

House of Arianiti

Principality of Kastrioti (1389–1444)

House of Kastrioti

Principality of Zaharia (1396–1447)

House of Zaharia

Principality of Spani (1400-1442)

House of Spani

* Pjetër I Spani * Stefan Spani * Marin Spani

Principality of Dushmani (1402-1444)

House of Dushmani

* Pal Dushmani * Lekë Dushmani * Koja Dushmani

League of Lezhë (1444–1479)

House of Kastrioti

House of Dukagjini

Pashalik of Shkodra (1757–1831)

House of Bushati

Pashalik of Berat (1774–1809)

House of Berat

Pashalik of Ioannina (1788–1822)

House of Meçohysaj

Principality of Albania (1914-1925)

House of Wied

Heads of House of Wied (1914–1973, not ruling)

Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)

House of Zogu The House of Zogu, or Zogolli during Ottoman Albania, Ottoman times and until 1922, is an Albanian people, Albanian dynastic family whose roots date back to the early 20th century. The family provided the first president and the short-lived modern ...

House of Zogu (1939–1945)

Italian Occupation (1939–1943)

House of Savoy The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

Bibliography

* Patrice Najbor, Histoire de l'Albanie et de sa maison royale (5 volumes), JePublie, Paris, 2008, (). * Patrice Najbor, La dynastye des Zogu, Textes & Prétextes, Paris, 2002. * Monarkia Shqiptare 1928–1939, Qendra e Studimeve Albanologjike & Insitituti Historisë, Boetimet Toena, Tirana, 2011 ()

References

External links

Albanian Royal CourtMaison royale d'Albanie
{{Authority control Kings of Albania